#064/05 November 9, 2005
Sewing Machine Donation Ceremony
C.S. Pattani
Wednesday, November 9, 2005
Deputy Chief of Mission Alexander Arvizu of the U.S. Embassy and the Governor of Pattani presided over a ceremony to donate 1,200 sewing machines to women in Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Songkla and Krabi Provinces. The event was held in the C.S. Pattani Hotel, Pattani on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 at 10.30 a.m.
The donation was part of the U.S. Department of State’s “Shared Futures” program which aims to provide economic and educational opportunities to Muslim communities around the world. The program operates in twelve countries, including Thailand. Through this program the people of the United States hope to express their desire to work with people in the South of Thailand to improve their quality of life. The sewing machines donation will support education and community-based development. This year the United States has already distributed 3,000 educational kits to children in the South.
The local partner for the distribution of the sewing machines is the Golden Jubilee Royal Goldsmith College. The partners coordinating the training program for the recipients of the sewing machines are the Vocational College in Pattani; the Vocational College in Yala; Narathiwas Raja Nakarin University; the Technical College in Krabi; and Nakhon Si Thammarat Seaboard Industrial College. The training will teach the recipients practical sewing techniques, followed by seminars to teach basic business skills.
Mr. Arvizu said “It is our hope that the distribution of these sewing machines, the training programs that will accompany the distribution, and the resulting economic success that will come from their use, will be a positive force for enhancing the understanding between our two peoples.”